WHEN the Twelfth Regular Infantry was organized under the Act of May 4,
1861, William B. Franklin was a captain of engineers in charge of public
grounds and buildings in Washington City. When the names of the colonels
of the nine additional infantry regiments were announced, his name
appeared as colonel of the Twelfth. As his personal official duties
threw him in close relations with the President and the Hon. Simon
Cameron, Secretary of War, he had the best possible opportunity to
select officers for his regiment from the regular establishment or from
among newly commissioned officers from civil life. When I joined the
regiment there was a report current that General Franklin and Mr.
Cameron had in consultation selected the first lot of officers assigned
to the organization. General Franklin is said to have expressed his
preference for "clubable" men, possibly on Caesar's theory that fops
made the best fighters. Be that as it may, the officers first assigned
were nearly all college graduates, men of social standing and presumably
clubable. Naturally, the policy of the colonels of the new
three-battalion regiments was to get as many graduates of the West Point
Military Academy for their respective commands as possible. The colonel
of the Twelfth secured two officers who had been at the Academy with
him. Henry B. Clitz was assigned as senior major, and M. M. Blunt as
senior captain. He applied for several others. Two declined to leave
their old regiments even to secure a higher grade in what they called
the mustang contingent. Their excuse was that the new organizations
would probably be mustered out, like the ten provisional regiments
attached to the Regular Army in the Mexican War. Two of these officers,
after they lost their volunteer commissions in the Civil War, came back
to the regular service in lower grades. If they had accepted commissions
in the mustangs, they would have ranked all civil appointments. As the
Secretary of War and the colonel of the regiment were Pennsylvanians,
very naturally a number of officers were selected from their State.
Besides the colonel himself and his brother, Walter Franklin, there were
Hulings, Sergeant, Parker, Hayes, Burnett, Egbert, Evan Miles and Van
Valzah; a fine lot of officers they proved to be, and an honor to the
Keystone State.

As the lieutenant-colonel, two of the majors and the senior captain were
New Yorkers, that State was well represented. Daniel Butterfield was
lieutenant-colonel, H. B. Clitz and Richard Smith majors. Among the
captains were Bartlett, Rathbone, Winthrop and King, and among the
lieutenants were Morgan, whose father was then Governor of the State;
Van Rensselaer, Sartell Pentice, Coster, Heckscher, Harry Smith and
Pond. Illinois had two representatives, Capt. Joab Wilkinson and Lieut.
E. M. Coates. The Putnam brothers were from Minnesota. Old Tom Dunn, a
Mexican War veteran, was from Indiana. Wilkinson was another remainder
of the same war. This reputed descendant of General Wilkinson, the
associate of Aaron Burr in his filibuster schemes, never joined.

Ohio was represented by Major Bruen, Capts. T. M. Anderson and P. W.
Stanhope. This recital is only important because the plan of recruiting
was to send the captains with the first lieutenants to their own States
to recruit their respective companies. As an incentive to zeal and
energy in the performance of this work, it was given out that the
officers filling the first eight companies should be assigned to the
first battalion.

It so happened that the writer of this reminiscence served in the
campaign of 1861 with the cavalry and did not report to the headquarters
of the Twelfth Infantry at Fort Hamilton until the latter part of
October. Then he had to report to Col. Martin Burke, who had entered the
army as a lieutenant in 1820. The old veteran was sitting in his office
in dressing gown and slippers and with an officer-of-the-day's sash
across his breast. He had temporarily taken the place of that official
while he went to lunch. When I reported he said at once, "I know your
Uncle Bob," meaning Major Anderson, of Sumter. "Yes, sir, I served with
him for nearly forty years. He is a good man, almost too good. He
disapproved of drunkenness so much he swapped off all the Irish in his
company for Dutchmen; but after the Mexican War he said he often wished
he had back his good-natured, hard-fighting Paddies."

This interesting conversation was broken by the entry of a young man
from the wild and wayward West. He had also come to report. Evidently he
had formed his opinion of the army from studying Charles O'Malley and
"Tom Burke of Ours." His hair hung low on his shoulders, he had a
revolver and a bowie-knife strapped to his belt. In one hand he held a
carpet bag and in the other a demijohn. On sight of this phenomenon old
Martin's mood changed.

"Young man," he said, "lay down your ordnance and subsistence." Then he
shouted, "Orderly!" The orderly came promptly. "Orderly," he said, "take
this officer to the barber shop and tell the barber to give this-this
officer's hair a military cut."

After this episode I sought the headquarters of the Twelfth, which I
found in a near-by casemate. I was agreeably surprised to find, thanks
to my short cavalry service, I was the second ranking captain. Most of
the officers were on recruiting service, but those who were present
were, as I remember, Major Clitz, Captains Sergeant, Dallas and Wister,
and Lieutenants Walter Franklin, Van Rensselaer, Stacy, a tall
auburn-haired youth named Tracy. Bernard P. Mimmack had just been made
regimental adjutant. This party formed a regimental mess. It was
dignified and proper. Compared to the mess we had in the field it seemed
a bit formal.

Major Clitz assigned Samuel Newbury, of Detroit, to me as a first
lieutenant, and it was arranged that I should recruit in Ohio and
Lieutenant Newbury in Wisconsin. We were assured by the commandant that
we were to raise a company together. I enlisted 105 men in Ohio and
could have as readily filled a battalion had not Major Clitz assigned
twenty of my men and a number of Newbury's recruits to the first
battalion. I protested most vigorously against this injustice, as it put
Lieutenant Newbury and myself in the disagreeable position of breaking
faith with our men, as we had assured them that they should serve
together. Lieutenant Newbury enlisted over 200 men, largely through the
influence of Col. James Jackson, who enlisted as a private, with a
prospect of promotion. Capt. Thomas S. Dunn also recruited his own
company in Indiana. It thus seemed that the Western officers of the
regiment were the most successful recruiting officers in their home
localities.

Major Clitz excused his action by saying that the officers who were
given Eastern stations could not get men. Someone explained that they
were too blamed clubable. The Western officers went around from town to
town ringing bells, beating drums and making speeches. We had to do
this, as the volunteers had adopted this method. In the spring of 1862,
when the First battalion was organized, the promise that the first
companies filled should constitute it was ignored. The excuse was made
that it would not have been proper to have all the senior captains in
one battalion. This seemed reasonable enough, yet when the Second
Battalion was organized its three senior captains ranked the second
captain of the First Battalion. The only objection made by the officers
assigned to the Second Battalion was that as recruiting officers they
had enlisted by far the larger proportion of the regimental recruits.

When Major Clitz took the First Battalion to the field, early in May,
1862, I was ordered to close my recruiting in Ohio and bring my men to
Fort Hamilton. On reporting about the 20th of May, I found there
Captains Mayer, Dallas, Quimby and Pennington. I was the senior officer
of the regiment present. Within a few days urgent orders came to
organize and equip a battalion. While we were accomplishing this purpose
a final order came from the War Department directing two companies of
the Eighth Infantry, under Captain Pitcher, and the Second Battalion of
the Twelfth, or so much of it as was organized, to start at once to join
the Army of the Potomac at or near Yorktown, Va.

I was assigned to Company A, Captain Dallas to Company B, Captain Quimby
to Company E and Captain Pennington to Company F. The lieutenants
available for duty were Harry C. Egbert, David D. Van Valzah, John S.
Campbell and Benjamin R. Perkins. Lieutenant Egbert was made battalion
adjutant. Captain Mayer was left at Fort Hamilton with Lieutenant
Mimmack to command the detachments of recruits left there.

Captain Mayer was a pronounced Israelite and not altogether without
guile. He had no aptitude for soldiering and soon got on detached duty.
While on duty subsequently at Alexandria, Va., he gave the New York
Herald a map and description of the forts around Washington. The work
was beautifully done, but when Secretary Stanton learned that Captain
Mayer had done it, it lead to his undoing.

Captain Quimby was a shipwright from Portland, Me. He was a brave,
energetic, and in many ways a very useful officer. He was not strong in
drill and discipline, but there was nothing in the way of work he would
not attempt. He ran our mess in the field most successfully.

Lieutenant Perkins was our "ancient mariner." His father, owned a lot of
New Bedford whalers and Perkins had been at sea practically all his
life. He had applied for a lieutenancy in the Navy and was made a first
lieutenant in the Twelfth Infantry. He knew nothing about military
service or any kind of land service, but he was as near fearless as men
ever are. The child-like faith with which he obeyed orders, while it was
refreshing, was also at times alarming, for he never appreciated the old
saw about discretion being the better part of valor.

When we received our marching orders I had to select a battalion
adjutant. Fortunately I had another choice. At that time Harry C. Egbert
seemed to me not much older than a boy. He had a youthful look and
manner, yet there was something about him which inspired confidence.
When I told him he would have to act as adjutant he protested that he
knew nothing of the duties of the position. I told him I knew he did
not, but that in the life-and-death business we were in we had to do the
best we could. He looked very serious and answered, "I will do my best."
From that time on he did his duty faithfully, bravely and earnestly,
until, thirty-seven years after, he fell mortally wounded in battle in
the Philippines. It seemed a strange coincidence that I should have been
the first officer to whom he reported, and the last.

At the time we were ordered to the front the Eighth Infantry was in camp
at Fort Hamilton. All of its companies, with two exceptions, were on
parole. Fortunately there were four of its officers who were not with
the regiment when it was surrendered to the Confederates in Texas. These
officers, as I remember, were Capt. Thomas G. Pitcher and Lieuts. John
N. Andrews, generally known as "Charity," Henry B. Noble and Snyder.

Before we left Fort Hamilton we heard of Stonewall Jackson's campaign in
the Valley. When we reached Baltimore we were ordered to report at
Harper's Ferry. This was a sore disappointment, as we had hoped to join
the Regular Division in the Army of the Potomac.

I voluntarily offered to report to Captain Pitcher if he would assume
command of both battalions. He consented to do so, and from that on the
command was known as the Battalion of the Eighth and Twelfth. We
reported to Gen. Rufus Saxton at Harper's Ferry, Va., I think on May
25th, and were assigned to the volunteer brigade of General Slough, made
up of new regiments without a day's experience in the field. Our first
order was to fortify Bolivar Heights. I was directed to run a line
across the brow of the hill. The First Delaware refused to work, but
when a few rebel shells exploded in their front they went to work with
amusing energy. We occupied this position several days, keeping up a
noisy but harmless artillery duel with the enemy. Then there was a
report that Jackson was about to attack us with an overwhelming force,
and that Gen. Dick Taylor, a son of old Zack, was to lead the attack.
Jackson's victories over Banks, Shields and Fremont had produced such a
demoralizing effect that our force of five or six thousand men were
withdrawn from Bolivar Heights to what was called the City Heights.
Jackson, to cover the transfer of his army from the Shenandoah to
Richmond, sent Bradley Johnson to make a mere demonstration against us,
with a couple of small regiments and a four-gun battery. On the night of
May 30th he made a demonstration by opening fire from Bolivar Heights,
which we had abandoned. Then followed the most absurd opera bouffe
battle of the war. Our troops were kept in line all night, and time and
again the whole line would open fire on nothing at all. A battery of
Dahlgren guns on Maryland Heights sent their shells over our heads to
explode high in the air. The enemy's fire having ceased, I was sent out
with a scouting party about 3 o'clock in the morning. It was very dark
in the valley between the hills and we suddenly ran into a small
scouting party of the enemy. We killed one man and the rest disappeared
in the darkness. The few shots we exchanged caused our lines to open a
magnificent charivari. Fortunately the balls flew high and none of our
detachment were hurt. With the first peep of day we went over Bolivar
Heights and found them abandoned. Soon we met some intelligent
contrabands, who informed us that the Johnnies had gone up the
Charlestown Road about midnight. Returning to camp, I was ordered to put
my company on a Baltimore & Ohio R. R. train and go over to Martinsburg
and open communication with General Banks. When we reached Martinsburg
we found some men of the signal corps, and through them announced to
General Banks our victory of the night before and that the enemy were
retreating up the Valley. Then by signal he directed us to announce to
General Saxton that he would assume the offensive and advance at once.
Returning to Harper's Ferry we found our camp abandoned. In our absence
General Sigel had come and assumed command and had at once ordered an
advance. As neither tentage nor subsistence had been left for us, we had
to make a night march and overtake our command.

We joined General Banks' forces at Winchester. From thence we marched to
Cedar Creek, where Sheridan subsequently won his historic victory. There
we met what was left of Fremont's army, the demoralized brigades of
Schenck and Blenker. There Sigel gave us our first brigade drill.
Captain Pitcher said that it was the first brigade drill he had ever
seen and that he had never had a battalion drill since he left West
Point. It seemed there had been no opportunities for battalion drills on
the frontier before the Rebellion.

When reports of the Seven Days' Battles on the Peninsula indicated that
Jackson's Confederate Division was with Lee's army about Richmond, the
troops that had formed Saxton's Division at Harper's Ferry were
transferred to General Augur, and the brigade to which we were attached
assigned to Brig. Gen. Henry Prince. Orders were issued for General
Banks' command to march through the Luray Gap and report to General Pope
at Warrenton. By a clerical error our division received the order to go
to Little Washington, a small hamlet in the Luray Valley. In attempting
this we got separated from our trains and got lost in the hills. In this
state of confusion General Augur joined us. Our battalion was ordered to
furnish the field music for a review. We had to report that we were
beating our calls on an inverted camp kettle. The review was postponed
and we marched to Culpeper, gathering up our stragglers on the way.
There we fell again under the benign command of Banks. General Pope was
at Warrenton organizing his army. We should have waited for him to have
gathered the disjectu membrq of his forces. But when General Banks
learned that Jackson's advance was at Orange Court House, his amiability
gave place to wrath. "The sable raven bellowed for revenge."

At Cedar Mountain our battalion of the Eighth and Twelfth opened the
fight as skirmishers, rushing up the hill close to the enemy's line. Our
volunteer brigade was behind us in column of regiments. It attempted to
deploy in a dense corn-field. The rebel line fired over us and into the
corn. This threw our brigade into confusion and they were withdrawn
behind a line of batteries to reform. That left us under the rebel fire
and the fire of our batteries. We could neither advance nor retreat. The
Confederate General Taliaferro, in his report, says we fought in a way
that convinced him we were regulars. But we had one great mortification.
The reserve of the skirmish line was left under the command of a young
captain, a mere youth, who had never been under fire before. He made his
reserve lie down in a little hollow. There the Fifth Ohio, under Colonel
Patrick, in going to the front, passed over them and called on them to
go forward. When the captain declined to do so without orders the
volunteers called them cowards. Colonel Patrick reported the
circumstance in his report. The captain then went off to get orders, but
did not return. The men, left without guidance, came over and joined the
left of the line. In the meantime Captains Pitcher and Quimby and
Lieutenants Andrews and Noble were wounded. Lieutenants Egbert, Campbell
and Snyder were taken prisoners. Captains Pennington and Van Valzah were
among the missing. At the end of the battle Captain Anderson and
Lieutenant Perkins were the only officers left with the battalion. They
held their position until dusk and then fell back until they met General
McDowell coming on the field at the head of Rickett's Division. By his
direction the battalion formed line across the Culpeper Road, facing the
enemy. We stopped the enemies advance by firing the few rounds of
cartridges we had left. This gave time for the head of Rickett's line to
deploy. This ended the battle, and General McDowell thanked us and sent
us back of his line. Soon after we saw General Banks come in from the
right without any hat. He had also lost his head, but did not know
it.

In my report of the battle I commended Captain Quimby and Lieutenants
Noble and Perkins and Sergt. Lawrence Canavan and First Sergt. Emerson
Liscomb, recommending the latter for a commission, which was given him.
He was wounded and showed great courage in the battle. He was killed
forty years after in China.

From the battle-field of Cedar Mountain we changed our base to Culpeper.
We made this timely move to prevent the enemy from seeing our backs.
After a few days we advanced northward to meet the advance corps of
McClellan's army. In this move we first met companies E and F of the
Second Battalion coming to join us. The officers with these companies
were Capt. Thomas S. Dunn and Lieutenants Newbury, Miles and Wells.
Lieutenants Andrews and Van Valzah had rejoined at Culpeper.

At the crossing of the Rappahannock we found Captain Pennington. Here we
took part in combat with Stuart's cavalry. We were sent across a pontoon
bridge to recover some arms abandoned by a picket guard on that side of
the river. From this time began a series of tiresome marches and
countermarches. First we were marched up to Waterloo Bridge; this was
apparently with the idea of heading off Jackson. When this was found
impracticable we were rushed back to the lower fords with the apparent
purpose of crossing and crushing Longstreet's corps. This took us back
to Bristoe Station. High water prevented our crossing, and then we were
marched west to Fayetteville. From there our whole corps marched to
Warrenton to find that Ewell had cut our line of communication, so for
several days we were on short rations. At Bristoe Station, at a partly
burned bridge, we found a large train of freight cars loaded with army
stores, which we were ordered to burn. We ran one car across the bridge
and offered to run them all across by hand, but the order was repeated,
so that we had to burn property of great value. As this was before the
Battle of Manassas was decided, it was evident that someone in authority
had no faith in our success.

For two days we heard a distant cannonade; then we made a night march to
Buckland Mills, and while the battle was raging we marched to Chantilly
and were in the night battle there without taking an active part,
although under fire.

As the army fell back to Alexandria we covered the retreat, supporting
the Fourth and Sixth Maine Batteries. This was a very hard service, as
we were tired out by night marches. Then for the first time in a month
we drew full rations. The next day I sent Lieutenant Andrews to General
McClellan's headquarters to see if we could not be transferred to the
Regular Division in the Army of the Potomac. To our great delight he
soon returned with an order transferring us to the First Brigade, Second
Division, Fifth Army Corps.

The volunteer brigade we were in was made up of the 109th Pennsylvania
Volunteer Infantry, I49th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, 3d Maryland
Volunteer Infantry and the 102d New York Volunteer Infantry. A Colonel
Schavdecker, of Erie, Pa., commanded the brigade, as General Prince had
been taken prisoner at Cedar Mountain. We had gotten along very well
with our volunteer comrades but thought our association would be more
pleasant with the regulars.

We lost no time in marching over to Hall's Hill at the Virginia end of
the Chain Bridge, where the Fifth Corps were in camp. I first reported
to Gen. George Sykes, the division commander. He did not seem to be much
impressed with our warriors, but looked attentively at Lieut. Ben
Perkins' train of nine wagons, two ambulances and a buggy. When he
learned that he had absorbed this wagon train in General Pope's masterly
maneuvers, he directed him to turn in all except two wagons to the
division quartermaster. I next reported with the Eighth and Twelfth to
Lieut.-Col. Robert Buchanan, the brigade commander. When this majestic
martinet cast his critical eye over us he remarked, "You look like a set
of volunteers." I could only say, "That is what we are, Colonel
Buchanan." He replied, "I will make regulars of you." And this he
proceeded to do in a way more vigorous than pleasant, but we must give
him due credit for doing so. The officers of the new regiments were
ignorant of the first principles of military art, of army regulations
and customs of service.

In the camp at Hall's Hill we found the first battalion of our regiment.
The officers with it were Captains Blunt, Sergeant, Wister and Winthrop,
and Lieutenants Stacey, Drouillard, Tracey, Evans, Netterville and Pond.
In our new brigade we found the Third Infantry under Capt. John Wilkins,
the Fourth, under Capt. Hiram Dryer, the First Battalion of the
Fourteenth, under Capt. John O'Connel, and the Second, under Capt.
Harvey Brown. There were other officers we met in this camp with whom we
were destined to have intimate relations. Among others I may mention
Freedley, Penrose, Kent, Page, Dangerfield Parker, Maloney, Powell,
George Randall, John C. Bates, Keyes, Thatcher, Ilges, Coppinger,
Smedberg and O'Beirne. Lieutenant Van Rensselaer was General Sykes'
aide, and Lieutenant Powell was brigade adjutant-general. Lieutenant
Andrews was acting adjutant of our battalion, and Lieutenant Perkins was
quartermaster and commissary. As Ben neither gave nor asked receipts, he
subsequently had some correspondence on the subject with the Second
Auditor. Captain Dallas, whose presence was somewhat intermittent,
reported here and was assigned to Company B, Lieutenant Newbury to
Company C, Captain Dunn to Company D and Lieutenant Wells to Company E,
in place of Captain Quimby, absent wounded; Lieutenant Morgan to Company
F, vice Pennington. As to Capt. Martin Mayer we had no information.

Our next camp was at Silver Springs with the Army of the Potomac,
marching to meet Lee in Maryland. At South Mountain we were under fire
but held in reserve. The Twenty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry was
immediately in our front. I asked a young commissary-sergeant of the
Twenty-third who was in command of his regiment. He told me Major Hayes.
As he was an old acquaintance I rode forward and spoke to him. As the
commissary sergeant was William McKinley, within two, minutes I spoke to
two men who subsequently became Presidents of the United States.

On the afternoon of the 16th of September, while we approached the
battle-field of Antietam, some negroes were digging post-holes to the
left of the road. When the enemy opened an artillery fire on us these
discolored Americans tried to hide in the holes. When, however, some of
their shells struck the ground near by and threw showers of dirt over
them, they popped out of their holes and sprinted across the field,
rolling over whenever a shell exploded. This performance amused our men
so, that they seemed to lose all sense of fear. Our brigade marched on
and formed line of battle to the left of Sharpsburg with the right
resting below the stone bridge. Just before daybreak on the 17th the
First Battalion crossed the bridge and took open order just beyond.
Later in the day the Fourth and the Fourteenth went over, and this force
moved up to the crest of the hill in front of Sharpsburg. Pleasanton's
cavalry crossed over and formed to the right of the bridge. The Third
Infantry and the battalion of the Eighth and Twelfth were held in
support of the artillery, which was firing on the enemy from our side of
the creek. In the afternoon I was directed to detail two men to assist
in working the guns. As old Martin Burke had insisted oil training our
men in artillery drill, they were able to give most efficient
assistance.

Near sundown all the rebel force in the center of their line except two
regiments and a battery, had been sent down to resist Burnside's
advance. Captain Dryer sent a note stating this fact and asked for
orders. At that time General McClellan was consulting with Gen.
Fitz-John Porter and General Sykes immediately in our front. I saw the
note delivered to General McClellan. General Sykes told me after the war
that General McClellan, after reading the note, seemed inclined to order
forward the reserves to break Lee's center, but that General Porter
reminded him that he commanded the last reserve of the last Army of the
Republic. The order was not given and the golden opportunity to win a
great victory was lost. There never was a better opening for an
effective infantry advance and a brilliant cavalry charge.

We were next under fire at Snicker's Gap. The Fourteenth Infantry lost
heavily in a reconnaissance and the Twelfth went forward to cover their
withdrawal. We were present at the review of the army at Warrenton
Junction when McClellan was relieved and Burnside assumed command. The
officers who served on the Peninsula regretted to see McClellan leave.
The Second Battalion was indifferent. Antietam had not impressed us with
his ability. I forgot to mention that the two companies of the Eighth
Infantry which had served with us under Banks were transferred to the
headquarter guard after the Battle of Antietam.

When we reached Falmouth, on the Rappahannock opposite Fredericksburg,
we were in advance of the army. We found Sigel there with the Eleventh
Corps. We could have improvised a bride and easily crossed, as there was
only one Confederate brigade on the other side.

In the Fredericksburg campaign General Butterfield, our
lieutenant-colonel, was in command of the Fifth Corps, but was relieved
soon after by General Meade. Our colonel, General Franklin, commanded
the Right Grand Division of the army. Before the battle we were in camp
at Stafford Court House. On December 10th our battalion was sent out on
three days' picket duty, but came in and joined the brigade just before
it crossed the upper pontoon bridge. At sundown we took our place in
line of battle on the slope of Marye's Heights within 150 Yards of the
rebel line. The Fourth Infantry was on our right and the Fourteenth on
our left. The officers of the battalion present were Captain Anderson,
in command, Captain Dallas with Company B, Captain Dunn with Company D,
Lieutenant Perkins with Company G, Lieutenant Wells with Company A,
Lieutenant Van Valzah with Company C, and Lieutenant Tracey with Company
E. Lieutenant Burnett was regimental quartermaster, Lieutenant Egbert
was battalion adjutant, Dr. S. D. Grant was contract surgeon, and Jerry
McKibben was sutler, and always at the front. We held a very dangerous
and uncomfortable position until nine o'clock the next night, when we
were withdrawn into the town. The night before the withdrawal of our
army to the north bank of the river, the Fourth Infantry and the Second
Battalion of the Twelfth were put in a line of rifle pits in the Martha
Washington cemetery. At daylight the next morning the enemy opened a
lively fire upon us, which we returned with spirit. This continued until
a blinding rain enabled us to withdraw and cross the upper bridge about
10 o'clock, our battalion being the last to cross. Captain Newbury, who
had been temporarily detached, returned to us after the battle.
Lieutenants Prentice and Hoyer also reported at this time. Lieutenants
Bootes, Campbell and Hoyer soon after resigned. After the battle we
remained in camp near Falmouth, with the interruption of the mud march,
until we took part in the Battle of Chancellorsville. In this interval
we had inspections, reviews and company and battalion drills, but no
brigade drills or target practice. I was put in charge of a working
party of 2000 men to construct block-houses and field-works along the
line of the railroad from Aquia Creek to Falmouth.

In the spring of 1863 Brigadier-General Ayres relieved Colonel Buchanan
of the command of our brigade. We broke camp at Falmouth on April 27th
and crossed the Rappahannock on the 29th. On May 1st our brigade marched
in advance down the Fredericksburg Road and met the advance of the enemy
coming up. In a brisk skirmish we drove them before us for about a mile,
when, to our intense disgust, we were ordered to retreat. General
Warren, General Hooker's chief of staff, was with us at the time and
directed General Sykes to hold his position until he could ascertain why
the order was given. But the order was repeated and we had to fall back
to a position near Chancellorsville house. I was slightly wounded but
did not have to leave the field. Late in the afternoon of the 2d, as I
remember, we double-quicked from the left of our line to the right to
take the place of the routed Eleventh Corps. Our battalion led the way,
under General Sykes' personal direction. We took open order beyond the
Ely's Ford Road, and checked the enemy's advance. Fortunately they
stopped to plunder Howard's camp, which gave our corps time to form line
of battle. We lay on the ground in open order all night. The next day we
entrenched the line of the Ely's Ford Road, and on the 6th we crossed
the Rappahannock at the United States Ford and returned to our old
camping ground at Falmouth.

The injury I received in the Chancellorsville battle proving more
serious than our medical officer anticipated, I was given a sick leave
June 1st, and upon the expiration of the leave was placed on detached
service and did not return to the regiment until some time in February,
1864.

I found the regiment in camp at Kettle Run, on the Orange and Alexandria
Railroad, and relieved Captain Dallas, who was in command. He left on
detached duty. Captains Rathbone and Newbury remained in Washington.

I think on the last of April Major L. B. Bruen assumed command and I was
designated by order as an acting field-officer. We broke camp about May
2d and began the Wilderness campaign. The organized companies of the
First Battalion present were A, B, C, D and G, and of the Second
Battalion were Companies A, C, D, F and H. In the first day's battle in
the Wilderness, May 5th, Captain Dunn was wounded and Lieutenants Van
Valzah and Netterville were taken prisoners. In the Laurel Hill fight
the Twelfth and Fourteenth Infantry formed part of a detached brigade. I
believe it was on that occasion that General Bubb was made
color-sergeant and subsequently recommended for promotion.

In the Battle of Spottsylvania, on May 12th, Major Bruen and Captains
Anderson and King were wounded and sent to the rear. Captain Anderson
received his brevets as major and lieutenant-colonel for the two battles
in which he was wounded. After the expiration of a-six months' sick
leave he was put on duty on the staff of Maj.-Gen. Joseph Hooker.

After being relieved from staff duty he joined and assumed command of
the regiment at Richmond, Va., July 4, 1865.

The First and Second Battalions of the regiment, sixteen companies, were
then in camp at Jackson Barracks, just west of Richmond, near the James
River. This camp we designated Camp Winthrop, and it was so called until
the Twelfth was relieved by the Eleventh Infantry in the spring of 1866.